Cathedral Basilica of St. James (Brooklyn)

Cathedral Basilica of St. James
Cathedral Basilica of St. James
40°41′49.4″N 73°59′12″W / 40.697056°N 73.98667°W
Location Jay Street & Cathedral Place
Brooklyn, New York
Country United States
Denomination Roman Catholic
History
Founded 1822
Dedication James, son of Zebedee
Architecture
Status Cathedral (1853-1896; 1972-present)
Pro-cathedral (1896-1972)
Style Georgian Revival[1]
Completed 1903[1]
Specifications
Materials Brick
Administration
Diocese Diocese of Brooklyn
Clergy
Bishop(s) Most Rev. Nicholas DiMarzio
Rector Fr. Peter Purpura

The Cathedral Basilica of St. James is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Brooklyn.[2] It is located at the corner of Jay Street and Cathedral Place in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City.[3] It was built in 1903 and designed by George H. Streeton in the Neo-Georgian style.[1]

The first church built on this site in 1822-1823 became the cathedral of Brooklyn in 1853. Brooklyn's first bishop, John Loughlin planned a new cathedral dedicated to the patroness of the diocese, the Immaculate Conception and its construction started in 1868 in Fort Greene, at Green Street and Clermont Avenue.[1] The cornerstone for the new cathedral was laid, and the walls built to a height of 10 to 20 feet before construction was stopped due to inadequate funds; of the planned complex, only a chapel (no longer extant) and the Bishop's residence (now LaSalle Hall of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School) were completed.[4] In 1896, Louglin's successor Bishop McDonnell designated a St. James Cathedral a pro-cathedral, anticipating the completion of Immaculate Conception.[5] Although the current church on the original site was built in 1903, it did not became a cathedral again until 1972.[1] The newly elected Pope John Paul II visited in 1979, and formally designated it as a basilica in 1982.[6][7]

While officially the cathedral for the diocese, many major ceremonies are held at larger churches because of St. James' small size. Accordingly, St. Joseph's Church in Prospect Heights was named co-cathedral for the diocese in 2013.[8]

The Rector of St. James' Cathedral Basilica is Fr. Peter Purpura

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 White, Norval & Willensky, Elliot with Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195383867., p.584
  2. ↑ http://www.brooklyncathedral.net/index.html
  3. ↑ Remigius Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. Volume 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg Together with some Supplementary Articles on Religious Communities of Women.. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.534.
  4. ↑ New York Landmarks Preservation Commission "Fort Greene Historic District Designation Report" (September 26, 1978)
  5. ↑  Meehan, Thomas (1913). "Diocese of Brooklyn". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  6. ↑ Neidl, Phoebe (2006). "The Importance of St. James Cathedral Basilica". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  7. ↑ Vincent, Stephen (2005). "New York's 'Other' Cathedral". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
  8. ↑ Norsen Tate, Francesca (2013). "ELEVATION: Prospect Heights church made a Cathedral, one of Pope Benedict XVI's final acts". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved 2013-03-06.

External links